Mr Davis Onsakia musings....

The much awaited Safaricom IPO is here at last: the going has been ridden with many challenges - legal as well as investor confidence. But I believe, the Minister for Finance, can at last heave a sigh of relief and say 'It is done man!' We all accept, including myself, that even now the IPO is not correctly timed; bearing in mind that Nyaga Stockbrokers are under statutory management - but when might have been the correct time to bring this to the market? An ideal time? I don't think that this exists in the investment world: every investment opportunity has its risks which an investor will have to bear before you sink you money into it. The question right now is: what is going to be the effect of this IPO on the capital markets in Kenya and the whole of the East African Community's economies? As with the Kengen IPO where some Kenyans emerged millionaires, I hope that also come 9th June (when the Safaricom shares start trading at the NSE) some Kenyans and East Africans ...

As most of you might be a ware, Kenya is coming from a scary last two months: lives have been lost and property has been destroyed. But as I requested in the previous post, prayers, I believe have saved Kenya from a catastrophe (or is it near a catastrophe?). Now, as we wait to see how the power sharing is being implemented, the question on most people's lips is: is Kenya any better to start doing business again now? What is the probability that the deal will be implemented to the letter and that all will agree that all is Ok? I wish that there's somebody out there who can provide candid answers to such pertinent questions: I know that these are some of the questions that are going on in the minds of investors both locally and internationally. The jittery among the investors is being reflected on the declining prices at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). Local as well as international investors are quite wary of the way words have started flying around concerning the National Ac...